Valuable Coins You Might Find in Your Pocket Change

Few people get rich from selling coins. While a small number of coins have sold for millions, most valuable coins were purchased as investments and preserved in pristine condition. Many modern coins are produced not for circulation but as collectibles or themed sets.

There are exceptions: circulated coins can sometimes be valuable. This typically occurs when a minting error is discovered after release or when a low-mintage issue is hoarded by collectors. Auction records are usually held by uncirculated specimens, but even lower-grade examples of rare coins can sell for many times their face value.

Check your pocket change—you might be holding a coin worth far more than you think. Here are rare and interesting coins minted since 1995 from around the world that have commanded significant prices.

20. 2007 Australian Double Obverse 5 Cent

Reported sale: $46 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2007 Australian Double Obverse 5 Cent

This error coin was struck using two obverse dies rather than an obverse and a reverse. The exact quantity is uncertain, but estimates suggest there may be up to several thousand examples.

19. 2004 Finland 2 Euro

Reported sale: $50 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2004 Finland 2 Euro

This coin commemorated the 2004 expansion of the European Union. Finland issued the only commemorative design for that occasion, and nearly one million examples were struck in June and July of 2004.

18. 2010 Australian Upset 50 Cent

Reported sale: $80 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2010 Australian Upset 50 Cent

This variety features an obverse and reverse misaligned by about 30 degrees. The cause is unclear, but the error appears limited; estimates suggest 200,000 or fewer examples exist.

17. 2008 U.K. Undated 20p Coin

Reported sale: £72 ($91)

Bottom Line: 2008 U.K. Undated 20p Coin

A redesign moved the date from the reverse to the obverse, but a production mistake paired a 2008 reverse die with an older 2007 obverse die, producing coins without a date. Estimates range from 50,000 to 200,000 undated pieces.

16. 2006 Canadian Magnetic No Logo/No P Penny

Reported sale: $140 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2006 Canadian Magnetic No Logo/No P Penny

In 2006 Canada produced two penny varieties: one with a zinc core and another with a magnetic steel core. The magnetic coins were intended to include a mint mark (a P or the new Royal Canadian Mint crown/maple leaf logo) under the Queen’s portrait; some were struck without either mark, creating a collectible error type.

15. 1997 U.S. Double Ear Lincoln Penny

Reported sale: $404 (auction)

Bottom Line: 1997 U.S. Double Ear Lincoln Penny

A die error produced a doubled image on the obverse, creating the illusion of two earlobes on Lincoln’s ear. Such doubled die varieties are sought by collectors.

14. 2002 Greek 2 Euro

Reported sale: $500 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2002 Greek 2 Euro

Some examples show an “S” stamped in one of the stars at the bottom of the design. That mark indicates the coin was minted in Finland (Suomi) rather than the expected Athens mint, making those pieces scarce and collectible.

13. 2005 U.S. Filled Die Kansas State Quarter

Reported sale: $518 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2005 U.S. Filled Die Kansas State Quarter

Often nicknamed the “In God We Rust” error, this variety resulted from grease or debris filling part of the die and altering the strike. The apparent missing or distorted lettering is caused by filled die conditions; on close inspection the letters remain but appear deformed.

12. 2007 U.S. Missing Edge Lettering Presidential Dollar

Reported sale: $1,007 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2007 U.S. Missing Edge Lettering Presidential Dollar

A group of George Washington presidential dollars were struck without the edge inscription “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Although 300 million presidential dollars were produced in 2007 across Philadelphia and Denver, the error pieces appear to have originated primarily from Philadelphia. Estimates suggest roughly 50,000 error coins exist, and most sell for modest premiums over face value.

11. 2005-D U.S. Jefferson Bison Nickel

Reported sale: $1,265 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2005-D U.S. Jefferson Bison Nickel

A prominent die gouge on some 2005 nickels created a mark along the bison’s back, earning the nickname “Speared Bison.” Mint-state examples from 2005 are relatively scarce due to planchet and die issues that produced nicks, scratches and inconsistent strikes.

10. 2012 U.K. Olympic Swimming 50p

Reported sale: £820 ($1,353)

Bottom Line: 2012 U.K. Olympic Swimming 50p

For the 2012 London Olympics the Royal Mint released 29 distinct 50p designs. An early batch of the swimming design had a minting flaw that made the swimmer’s face appear obscured; about 600 error coins entered circulation before the mistake was corrected.

9. 2000 Australian $1/10 Mule

Reported sale: $1,507 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2000 Australian $1/10 Mule

An error at the mint paired the reverse of the Mob of Roos dollar with the obverse intended for a 10-cent coin, producing a thicker coin with a double rim on the portrait side.

8. 1999 U.S. Wide “AM” Reverse Lincoln Penny

Reported sale: $2,300 (auction)

Bottom Line: 1999 U.S. Wide “AM” Reverse Lincoln Penny

A calibration error created an unusually wide space between the letters A and M in “AMERICA” on the reverse. Similar wide-AM errors exist for 1998 and 2000, but the 1999 variety is the rarest. At least 1,000 examples are known and they command substantial premiums over face value.

7. 2009 Lincoln Presidency Cent

Reported sale: $2,650 (eBay)

Bottom Line: 2009 Lincoln Presidency Cent

In 2009 four different reverse designs were issued for the Lincoln cent. The “Presidency” design shows the U.S. Capitol dome and has the smallest mintage of the four Philadelphia issues—under 130 million. Well-preserved examples can fetch high prices, while circulated pieces typically sell for less than $10.

6. 2008-W U.S. Reverse of 2007 Silver Eagle Dollar

Reported sale: $2,900 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2008-W U.S. Reverse of 2007 Silver Eagle Dollar

When the U.S. Mint slightly revised the Silver Eagle reverse for 2008, some coins in the transition were struck with the prior year’s reverse. At least 45,000 of these transitional pieces appear to have been produced. Collectors note distinguishing features such as a missing serif on the lower right of the letter U. High-grade “first strike” examples command strong prices.

5. 2004-D U.S. Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarter

Reported sale: $3,450 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2004-D U.S. Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarter

In late 2004 a collector noticed an extra leaf on the ear of corn depicted on the Wisconsin reverse. Two varieties emerged: “extra leaf low” and “extra leaf high.” Opinions differ on whether the extra leaf resulted from a die flaw or an intentional modification, but all examples were struck from the same die. About 8,000 extra-leaf quarters are believed to exist.

4. 1995 U.S. Doubled Die Obverse Penny

Reported sale: $5,053 (auction)

Bottom Line: 1995 U.S. Doubled Die Obverse Penny

The 1995 doubled die is notable as one of the last U.S. doubled-die pennies. After 1995, minting changes made such errors far less likely. The doubling is most obvious in the words “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE.” Approximately 40,000 were struck before the problem was detected; about 24,000 were reportedly released.

3. 2000-P U.S. ‘Cheerios’ Sacagawea Dollar

Reported sale: $7,500 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2000-P U.S. ‘Cheerios’ Sacagawea Dollar

As a promotional tie-in, the U.S. Mint produced 5,500 Sacagawea dollars for General Mills to include in every 2,000th box of Cheerios. Some of those promotional coins display a distinct reverse with enhanced detail in the eagle’s tail feathers. That specific reverse variety appears only in coins distributed through the Cheerios promotion.

2. 2002 Italian 2 Cent

Reported sale: €6,600 ($7,564) (auction)

Bottom Line: 2002 Italian 2 Cent

About 7,000 coins were mistakenly struck on two-cent blanks, producing a 1-cent design on a two-cent planchet. Despite that production number, only a dozen or so have appeared at auction. The reverse shows Turin’s Mole Antonelliana rather than the expected Castel del Monte design, making these pieces highly desirable to collectors.

1. 2000-P U.S. Sacagawea Dollars With Transitional Errors

Reported sale: $7,637 (auction)

Bottom Line: 2000-P U.S. Sacagawea Dollars With Transitional Errors

At least four Sacagawea dollars have been documented with transitional errors: they were struck on copper-nickel planchets intended for Susan B. Anthony dollars rather than the manganese-bronze planchets used for Sacagawea dollars. Those rare transitional pieces retain the silver-gray color of Anthony dollars and are prized by error collectors.